Cheese Academy
One milk, a thousand cheeses.
Every cheese is milk, a coagulant, salt and time. What changes is how the curd is cut, cooked, drained, pressed and aged — and which microbes are invited in.
How cheese is made
Milk → ripen → coagulate → cut → cook → drain → knit → press → salt → age → cheese. Pick a style to see which stages it uses and how it differs.
Compare a style
Stage 1 of 5
Milk
Choose and warm the milk: cow, goat, sheep or buffalo; whole or skimmed; pasteurised or raw.
Why: Fat, protein and the milk's own bacteria set the ceiling for flavour and yield. Ultra-pasteurised (UHT) milk won't set properly with rennet.
In Fresh acid-heat: Heated to 85–95 °C first.
Examples: Paneer, Ricotta, Mascarpone
Fresh
Unaged, high-moisture curd eaten within days: mild, milky, often acid-set.
Paneer
South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)
Firm, springy, sliceable; doesn't melt — it softens and browns. Mild, milky, faintly sweet.
Ricotta
Italy · PDO
Soft, moist, fine or slightly grainy curds. Sweet, milky, delicate.
Cottage cheese
Various (UK, US, Europe)
Loose, moist, soft curds in a creamy dressing. Mild, lightly sour.
Cream cheese
United States
Smooth, dense, spreadable. Rich, mildly tangy.
Queso fresco
Mexico and Latin America
Soft-firm, crumbly, moist. Mild, milky, lightly salty.
Mascarpone
Italy
Very thick, silky, spoonable. Rich, sweet, buttery.
Burrata
Italy · PGI
A thin stretched-curd shell holding soft, creamy shreds (stracciatella). Milky, sweet, buttery.
Soft & bloomy
Short-ripened, high-moisture cheeses, often with a white mould rind that softens them from the outside in.
Semi-hard
Pressed cheeses aged weeks to months: sliceable, supple, mild to nutty.
Gouda
Netherlands · PGI
Young: smooth, supple; aged: firm with crunchy crystals. Young: mild, buttery; aged: caramel, butterscotch, nutty.
Edam
Netherlands · PGI
Firm, smooth, springy. Mild, slightly salty, nutty with age.
Havarti
Denmark · PGI
Supple, buttery, with small irregular holes. Mild, buttery, slightly sweet.
Monterey Jack
United States
Soft, smooth, melts very well. Mild, buttery.
Raclette
Switzerland and France · AOP
Semi-firm, supple, melts smoothly. Savoury, milky, nutty.
Hard
Low-moisture, well-pressed cheeses aged months to years: firm, crystalline, intense.
Cheddar
England · PDO
Firm, smooth; crumbly and crystalline when aged. Mild to sharp, nutty, tangy.
Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan)
Italy · PDO
Hard, granular, crumbly with crunchy crystals. Savoury, nutty, fruity, deeply umami.
Pecorino
Italy · PDO
Firm to hard, granular when aged. Salty, sharp, tangy, sheepy.
Manchego
Spain · PDO
Firm, compact, with small eyes; crumbly when aged. Nutty, buttery, tangy; caramel when aged.
Emmental
Switzerland · AOP
Firm, supple, with large round holes ('eyes'). Mild, sweet, nutty.
Gruyère
Switzerland · AOP
Firm, dense, few or no holes; crystals with age. Nutty, sweet, savoury, earthy.
Blue
Pierced cheeses where Penicillium roqueforti grows blue-green veins inside.
Roquefort
France · PDO
Moist, crumbly, creamy, with blue-green veins. Salty, sharp, tangy, rich.
Gorgonzola
Italy · PDO
Dolce: soft and creamy; piccante: firmer, crumbly. Dolce: mild, sweet; piccante: sharp, spicy.
Stilton
England · PDO
Rich, creamy-crumbly with blue veins radiating from the centre. Mellow, savoury, tangy; stronger near the veins.
Speciality
Brined, stretched, grilling and cream-enriched cheeses that follow their own methods.
Halloumi
Cyprus · PDO
Firm, springy, squeaky; doesn't melt when grilled. Salty, milky, minty.
Mozzarella
Italy · PDO
Soft, springy, moist, layered strands. Milky, fresh, slightly tangy.
Provolone
Italy · PDO
Firm, smooth; dolce supple, piccante harder. Dolce: mild; piccante: sharp, spicy.
Feta
Greece · PDO
Firm-crumbly, moist, creamy. Salty, tangy, rich.
Make it at home
12 home recipes from 45-minute paneer to months-aged cheddar-style — with hands-on, waiting and ageing time shown separately.
Key sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register — European Commission
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Foods to avoid in pregnancy (cheese guidance) — NHS (UK)
- Raw drinking milk — UK Food Standards Agency
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.